2 New Releases This Week!

Instagon has 2 new full length albums that have been released this week.. First is the newest collection in the on-going "A Dozen Paths To Escape Complete Boredom" series..  this one is volume 5.   It features almost all LIVE recordings done during the May 2013 sessions.  12 new cuts.   Featuring Lob working with JOHN KEELING,  JOEY CARUSI, BOT, CHAD E. WILLIAMS, STEPHEN A. ELLIOTT, TONY PASSARELL, VINNY GOLIA, & JACK CHANDLER.  This series is part of the 12x12in12 on-line community project that Instagon became part of for 2013.   There are 4 previous volumes to this series.. and still 7 more coming.  This month's collection can be found at bandcamp.

http://instagon.bandcamp.com/album/a-dozen-paths-to-escape-complete-boredom-vol-5-12in12x12-series

The 2nd release this week is a collection of recordings from 2007/2008 released on Placenta Recordings called "Thee Start ov Thee End".  The cover art is by Lob.   This is a CD ONLY release, available in a limited edition of only 75 copies, housed in a DVD size package.    Players on this release include Chad E. Williams, Susan Hunt, Eric Putnam, Dr. Oblivious, Tim White, Ryan Tomesello, Mike Daddona, Dex Lopaz, Andrew Wayne, Jim Smith, Leo The Butcher, Matthew Lewis, Mara Arrowood, IDX1274, Don Haugen, Morgan Jaeckel, Scott McGahan, Robert Fisher, Rent Romus, Phillip Everett, Nick Avdienko, and Pat Riley.   This collection contains both experimental "noise" / sound art cuts, as well as musical garage jazz recordings..a little bit of everything.   This collection also includes the entire "Funeral For a Droid" suite in it's entirety for the first time...previously only portions of this have been made available on compilations.   This CD is available exclusively from Placenta Recordings.
http://placentarecordings.blogspot.com/2013/05/instagon-thee-start-ov-thee-end.html

Instagon's Stockton,CA Debut!! Tomorrow!!

flyer by Marc Schneider

INSTAGON plays tomorrow for the FIRST time ever in Stockton, Ca.   It's cool to be playing at the Plea for Peace Centre..as that is the only really accepted honest venue that we have heard of IN Stockton..   There used to be a place called The Black Water Cafe.. but it is closed now (Garage Jazz Architects played there once..but no Instagon) ,, beyond those 2 venues.. we really have no real insight into Stockton at all.. we hope to really try to make some new friends.. it would be swell to get to come and make the deamon rise there more than just this one time.  The venue is run by a guy named Middagh, who is also part of the band NOVACAIN we are sharing the night with..  so it will be cool to meet him and co-conspire.   We have been told in the past that Novacain is a band that Instagon should play with ..so we are excited to see what they are all about.  Also on the bill are FORREST FRIENDS, who are on tour from Seattle.. also new friends that we have yet to meet.. and then a couple of old friends.. MEDICINE CABINET from Tracy (who actually got this show to happen!).. and BLOOD INTO WATER from San Jose.    This should be a swell night of noise and improvisational weirdness.   A few years ago Instagon played the POO FROG RANCH for their Mayday Celebration and we became friends with YELLOW DOT from Stockton.. they are our only real friends in Stockton and David Molina from Yellow Dot will be part of the Instagon session.. as will Chad E. Williams, Stephen E Elliott, & Ryan Tomesello (of Blood Into Water) .. it should be an interesting Instagon.   See you tomorrow.   -/\-

archives: Top Players Choice: #7 for Chris TM. - "PITTSBURGH!"

Chris TM. is one of the original 4 members of the "first" Instagon session.  He was the local contact person representing TOPY in the area of Orange County when I first moved to Huntington Beach.  We began our friendship, i think, in the mail.. me writing and introducing myself as an Active TOPY member that had just moved to OC from Las Vegas. Eventually we actually met in person...Our first encounter...i think...was a TOPY meeting that took place at the home of a friend..and then possibly at Vinyl Solution Records..but I remember the first time i went to Chris's apartment in Fullerton (where the first Instagon session happened).. it was this old 1970's apartment building..and the hallways were long and dim and it reminded me of scenes from Pink Floyd's "The Wall" film...and then this guy with dark black hair in a white shirt, like something Jim Morrison would wear, opened the door with this mysteriously mischievous grin.  Chris was a fun person...and was very much part of the early conceptual passion that was Instagon in the first few years..  Chris TM currently holds the #7 position for top players with Instagon..he has played 43 sessions.. Which is pretty impressive when you realize the last time he appeared with Instagon was in August 1997 (session #147). Chris was there when the deamon was brought forth.. he was part of the ritual that unleashed the beast...Chris and I are still very good friends, even though he lives on the East coast now and we never hardly see each other (except for facehook). He lives a happy family life with a beautiful wife and daughter. we all here on the west coast, that remember the Chris tm. who was.. ...the shadow that lingers behind that mischievous grin wearing a leather jacket and boots...and we still scratch our heads and try to figure it out.
   But the chaos and and mischievousness of the Chris Tm legend still continues as far as things involving Instagon is concerned...14 years may have passed..but that has not changed things much..  This show posted is actually Chris' 3rd choice.  The first 2 choices were BOTH not found in the archives and may not have been recorded at all (although that is unlikely)...none the less neither of the original shows he asked for are currently available for posting. ..we are still searching..but they are not in the "official" archive location at this time.  THOSE SHOWS are session #63, 11-25-94 Anomoulous Records,Whittier,CA - "T.V. DEATH",  and session #55, 10-22-94 Metropophobobobia, Phoenix, AZ. . (these shows are NOT available)   SO.. THIS show.. is TM's 3rd choice.. 

INSTAGON Top Players Choice #7
for Chris TM.
session #68
"PITTSBURGH"

January 15, 1995
Concourse Bowl, Anaheim,CA
http://www.archive.org/details/instagon1995-01-15.flac16

We somehow were booked to play a Sunday night "Rockin' Bowl" in Anaheim,CA.  I am not sure if Opus booked this gig, or if I did.  Also on the show were a band called BIG HIPPY PARTY, & our label mates from Insta-Noise Records, THE IRON ONS.  The photo above is an ACTUAL photo of the inside of Concourse Bowl.  The guy that we had booked this show with was the son of the owner of the place. He ran a weekly Sunday night gig that he booked local bands for, and he had no idea what he was getting when he booked Instagon.   Ken Tuntison, who later worked a lot with Instagon at Club Mesa, he was there with other bands and was involved with the sound system too i think.. and so this was HIS first exposure to Instagon!!  For this gig.. we planed to be very minimal..sort of a tribal sludgy dirge was planned.. it was going to be myself and Dan Young on percussion.. Opus23 & Myke Quest both on guitar.. Crow Mayhem on keyboards, and Chris TM on electronics and loops.  BUT..on the way to the gig.. we were in a van.. i think it was Dan's van...we were driving down Beach Blvd. on our way to the show.. and we saw Charles Ardinger walking down the street.. we pulled up and told him to "get in the van" ..and kidnapped him into this performance.  Upon arriving at the gig.. I proceeded to introduce myself to people sitting around the bowling alley.  The question of the day was "What is your favorite football team?"  I asked probably 3 or 4 people ..who refused to reply at all.. but finally one girl responded "Pittsburgh, that's a team...  right?"  and so this was to be our subject matter for the vocal.  I returned to Charles and told him his topic for the night was "Pittsburgh" ..that is ALL that he was told.  A few moments later we started.. and is what happened. About 15 minutes into the set.. the guy who had booked the show attempted to pull the plug and stop us.. as we were so noisy that it was chasing away customers..his Dad, who owned the place, thought it was a riot that we had duped his son into booking this "band" and forced him to deal with us and let us finish our set!..it was pretty funny.. eventually someone came forward with a tray of beers for us and Opus23 drop his guitar and rushed for the beer and the set was ended...in the 23 minutes or so we played we had nearly completely emptied this 80 lane bowling alley (that was full when we arrived) to only band members and a few die hards..  the other bands played to nearly no one (sorry).  Another side note is that there were a few young girls (like 13/14 yrs old) that were at this show by chance one of them was a girl named Aileen Holmes, and a few years later she would actually become involved and play in a few Instagon shows herself!    There IS video documentation of this performance, and perhaps if there is interest and a good way to share, this will be come available sometime in the future too..  but for now..here is the audio!  Click the link above to stream and download this epic and legendary performance.  Thanks to TM for choosing this session.  PITTSBURGH!  -/\-

archives: Players Choices: #6 for Charles Ardinger

Instagon Player's Choice #6
for CHARLES ARDINGER
session #53
"A Live Noise Experimental Tribute to Theodore Giesel/Dr.Seuss"
September 23, 1994
The Natural Fudge Cafe, Los Angeles,CA
http://www.archive.org/details/instagon1994-09-23.flac16

Charles Ardinger, the Punk Nerd.. has been involved with Instagon since very very early on appearing in his first show in Spring of 1994...since then he has continued to be a part of the instagon experience whenever we have the chance to include him...he has a regular standing invitation and is always welcome.  Currently, according the most recent records, he has appeared with Instagon in 46 sessions.. giving him the #6 position currently in the 10 Top Players list.  Charles is a one of a kind person.. a unique character to say the least (and that is actually nearly an understatement) He is one of the very special people that has been drawn into the magickal vortex that is Instagon whom we are seriously happy to have been given the chance to work with.  THIS show, that Charles chose, was actually a pretty easy guess as to the show that Charles WOULD pick..hehe  it was his 9th appearance with Instagon.. He was the front man for the band.. we were doing Giesel .. if you know Charles, this is obviously a show that was conceptualized for him..and so it is one of his favorites..

During the first few years that Instagon was doing live appearances...we used to do this thing called a "noise/experimental tribute" ..and we would pick a subject, and they would be the subject matter that a conceptual based performance would be created around..  we did them for W.S.Burroughs, Charles Bukowski, Richard Nixon, Charles Manson, David Koresh, and a few others... THIS recording is just one such of these performances.. with our honoree being Dr. Seuss.  The plan was to have a few sound artists with random instruments play accompaniment while a poet, Charles Ardinger, the punk nerd, reads 3 books by Dr. Seuss...this was the entire concept for the performance.  But what happened was so much more.. and this recording does so little to convey just what really happened on that day.  A few close friends and allies were present for this nights performance..
  We drove into the heart of Los Angeles.. the east hollywood/silverlake side of town..if you are familiar with a venue called the IL CORRAL then this is exactly that same part of town..but long before the days of Il Corral.  The space was called NATURAL FUDGE CAFE.. it was an underground legend in the LA area.. it was owned and operated by a woman and her husband.. and i cannot for the life of me remember thier names..  the husband passed and the woman continued to run the space.. renting to bands ..rockers, punks, mods, whatever.. she also sold cold sodas and was really quite an animated character in her own right. We, meaning Instagon, somehow got on a show with a few other bands.. i think Opus might have set this show up.. the other bands were high school aged pop punks.. we did not think this was gonna go over well.. but we proceeded anyways.  On the mound for the deamon with me (Lob) was Sharon444 playing floor tom percussion.. Opus23 playing guitar.. and Reverend Andy Warthog (RIP) mixing noises and samples live with a 4-track cassette machine. .on the microphone ..reading the Seuss, Charles Ardinger.   When Charles stepped out onto the stage space he was wearing his signature fedora hat..glasses.. a sports coat.. and black & red speedo underwear. .black socks.. hard shoes.   it was QUITE the site..  (ANY PHOTOS THAT MAY EXIST HAVE YET TO BE SEEN)   Charles took the mic and told us some fun facts about Dr. Seuss.. and then read Cat In The Hat, Green Eggs & Ham, and Hop Up Pop..  while the teenage crowd from the other band gathered and gawked in disbelief.. I remember there were a group of  young girls.. barely of legal age i am sure.. they gathered together in front of the stage and got on their knees and bowed and praised Charles as he read the Dr. Seuss..  it was most incredible to behold.. and these sort of things really just cannot be made up.  The performance ended.. I tried to engage the crowd in some dialogue about Dr. Seuss..but they were not really up for it..  Andy played some great samples and we faded away into the Los Angeles night never to been again at the Natural Fudge Cafe. 

   You can click the link above to hear this session or download it and hear it later. The recording is not the best..as its an old school walkman style cassette recording.  you can hear me messing with the microphone in the beginning trying to get the best placement for sound before we start. So I apologize for the not so listenable quality..this posting is mostly for historical fact and documentation, which is just how it should be anyways..  enjoy the show!

archives: Players Choices #3 & 4: Opus23 & Dr. Oblivious

As we continue our collection of favorites from the top players choices.. we move on to the number 3 & 4 positions.. and CURRENTLY at this time, they are a CLOSE race!!.

Players Choice #3
for Opus23

session #27
February 18, 1994, KUCI FM, Irvine, CA
http://www.archive.org/details/instagon1994-02-18.flac16

Opus23 (aka Justin Cline) was one of the early conspirators involved with the expanding the Instagon project into the hands of reality. He was involved with the planning and booking of the first live public performance.  Currently Opus rides the #3 position of those that have played the most with the Deamon.. having appeared in 69 separate documented sessions.. and probably some that are not documented. He was a major player in the early days of the project and the many wild and crazy "conceptual" performances that Instagon did in those first 3 years were due directly to Opus' influence on the Deamon. He has not appeared with Instagon since Eugene Noise Fest in 2007.  He currently lives in Seattle,WA with his wife and child and runs a wonderfully successful Ice Cream parlor called "Full Tilt Ice Cream".  When contacted and asked about what his choice for his most memorable adventure with Instagon ..he choice a show from the early days that has become known to the initiated frequencies as "NIRVANA".
  During those first few years of Instagon we were very lucky to meet and befriend a local OC collage radio DJ named Brian MacDonald (who also happens to live in Seattle now). Brian was hosting a 3 hour late night weekly show called "%$#&YER&*%TV" (Yer TV)..it happened on Friday nights from 2am to 5am.. it was live...and it was pretty much anything goes. Brian was open to having live sound artists come and do odd sounding weird stuff on his radio show.. and when we found out about it.. well, it seemed like a match made by destiny!

Instagon made 4 separate appearances on Brian's show and he pretty much handed over the show to us and let us freak out in the studios and halls for KUCI, with as many people as we wanted, for the entire time the show was on air for each of the times it happened...it was RADIO CHAOS.. and we enjoyed the hell out of it.. it was one of those experiences that helped to establish the "no boundaries" attitude that Instagon developed as a growing Audio Deamon.   Session #27 (aka Nirvana) was a live on air performance over the FM airwaves of KUCI at the University of Irvine in Irvine,CA. It was the 4th and final appearance of instagon on Brian's show. It lasted 2hours and 40mins and was epic.. This recording is sometimes hard to listen to.. but its also really amazing the things we did for fun in 1994.. boys up late at night.. with radio waves to entertain an audience that may or may not even be there.  As we were loading in for this show around midnight.. we heard drumming coming from across the college campus.. and upon further investigation found 5 guys playing big Japanese style Taiko drums.. so we asked them to join us on the radio and they agreed.  So this session now had 5 drummers, Lob, Opus, and also the late Rev. Andy Warthog, Wm Rage (BlueSabbathBlackCheer), Daniel Bremmer, Dan Young, Christoher Bradbury (aka Xtopher Robin) (who also now lives in Seattle.. what is this a conspiracy??), & Brian MacDonald...and we were chaos incarnated over the air for hours. Towards the later part of the session.. there was a moment of vocal interplay between Lob & WmRage.. and one of them said the word "Nirvana".. and this led into a frenzy of sillyness surrounding Nirvana..
and making fun of the band, the members, in a very very childish way and it was very fun and infectious.. by the end of the night we were all screaming and yelling "Nirvana" like it was some crazy drug.. we left the studio and defaced the office, hallways, & elevator at KUCI with black markers.. leaving the Instagon symbol, the number 23, psychick crosses, the word Nirvana.. and Opus even signed it.
It was not a very nice thing to do..but it WAS loads of fun.. and the following Monday we were called and told we had to come back to the college and clean up our mess.  I asked a photographer friend, Alexis Grimler, to join us and she documented some great photos of our chaos and shenanigans.  At least one of these photos appeared inside the debut CD by Instagon later that year.. and the title of that CD was also taken from this "clean up" session....While we were cleaning up our tagging.. a well dress woman walked by and stopped to look at us.. we asked her what she thought of our art?  she replied.. in a slight English accent that "It was the most creative thing she had ever seen.."

So.. this session..has TONS of history and story behind it..  Rage & Lob still joke about the "Nirvana Incident" occasionally to this day..  and the track "Nirvana" itself later appeared on the "THIS IS INSTAGON" collection released later in 1997 on cassette.  This recording is the ENTIRE performance as captured AT the station to cassette using their equipment...the tapes were transferred to large audio files and all of the titles, EXCEPT for "Nirvana" were created for this digital remastering in 2011 for this etree posting to make it easier to explore.
[All photos from session #27 by Alexis Grimler-Donato]

Players Choice #4
for Dr. Oblivious

Session #136
February 2, 1997
The Chameleon, San Francisco,CA
http://www.archive.org/details/instagon1997-02-02.flac16

Dr. Oblivious (aka Alan Urbany) is right behind Opus in regards to the number of sessions he has played since his first appearance in 1995..which is currently 68 sessions. But he has played as recently as 2010 and is scheduled for an appearance later this year... so his numbers are likely to change before the end of the universe (towards the end of next year supposedly...).  Dr. O was a gift given to Thee Instagon Foundation by the late Reverend Andy Warthog (RIP) and to this day, continues to be one of his greatest gifts every given to the Deamon's cause. Dr. O is very much a part of the "NOISE" personality of the Deamon Instagon.. and this too adds to his race with Opus..as they are both probably the players with the most "noise" involved Instagon shows as their accumulated appearances. Dr. O was also one of the FIRST RESPONDERS and so his FIRST choice was a show that was already previously posted..this is his 2ND choice we have taken for his Player Choice pick.

Session #136 happened at a bar in the mission district of San Francisco called The Chameleon, it has closed long ago. This was a late afternoon session..Lob & Dr.O were on Instagon's first Tour or Northern California and playing shows with people from the cities they stopped.  This was Instagon's first public appearance in the San Francisco Bay area. For this session we enjoyed the company of Crow Mayhem, of the band GALAXY CHAMBER, (who was an old friend from OC), also Wm.Rage (BlueSabbathBlackCheer), Gravity Goldberg ..who attempted jumping rope with a live mic cord during the appearance.. and who also played accordion.

This was Gravity's ONLY appearance with Instagon, although she was a very close friend to the original crew and still remains a good acquaintance to this day.  This show also happened to fall on the 4th birthday of the deamon Instagon.. it being the 4 year anniversary of the first ritual in Fullerton,CA.  This show was attended by many friends from the bay area from 23rd Current and TOPY circles. The session was just under 40 minutes long.. it consisted of 3 improvisational drone based sound sculptures..2 of which were named by members of the audience upon request and these requests can be heard on the recordings.  This was Dr. Oblivious' 2nd choice from the year 1997, so it seems that was probably a good year for noise. These recordings are the best available using the equipment that was on hand to capture and document the event.

[session #136 photos taken by Unknown person]
-/\-

NEWS - RECENT INTERVIEWS - PaperCuts & (dis)perse

Just in the past month there have been 2 separate interviews published with me (Lob) regarding Instagon, AIN, Chaos, and musick.. they are both really great interviews.. the first one is part of the new issues of PAPER CUTS Magazine, issue #5..released from the Paper Cuts Records label. 

Its an interview that was conducted earlier this year on line between myself and Justin Cassidy of The Transhumans.  The magazine also features a couple of articles written by me, one that is a label spotlight and short interview with Steve Davis of Love Earth Music, and the other is a an article about Audible Disease Effect Pedals that also includes interviews with Bob Scott of Audible Disease..other interviews include Bob Bellarue, Chopstick, & Corpseboy/Justin Cassidy.  The issue also features a 3" CDR with music from Chopstick, Justin Cassidy/Corpseboy, and Instagon.  The track is the title track of the Echophobic ep.  This mag is usually only printed in small runs 100-200 copies, so if you are interested.. you should order it. 

This interview was done around the time of the Echophobic CD release that happened in the late Spring, also from Paper Cuts Records. And talks alot about that release. The release is limited to only 50 copies.. and is easily the most exquisite looking release Instagon has done since the debut CD in 1994. ..its very beautiful and highly recommended.  

The next interview for your viewing pleasure is in a new  online blog/zine publication that has come out from Auricular Records, and it is called " (dis)perse ".   (This is a fairly new publication and they are looking for more submissions and writers).  The interview featured currently in (dis)perse was done very recently over the net between myself and Alan Herrick of Nux Vomica.  Some of the questions were very interesting and replies that involved talking about Instagon and chaos magick theory, my opinions on the noise scene and much more.. this blog can be found at

http://auricular.com/blog/

 Both of these interviews are really swell and I hope you check them out and find them interesting.. dont forget to leave comments.. comments are the best thing the net has to offer!     Happy reading!  -/\-

Set List - Session 542 - July 18, 2010 - The Hub Collective, Sacramento, CA

Instagon 542
July 18, 2010
The Hub Collective
Sacramento,CA

This show was something organized by Lob with the Norcal Noisefest Org. in preperation/promotions for the Norcal Noisefest happening in October. This is was the pre fest summer happening.  Instagon appeared first in the line up, so thanks to those that came out early.. the plan was the MIXER SET !..  this time around the players included Stefano Zeroli from INK ON SUIT, Chad E. Willams, and Ryan Tomasello from BLOOD INTO WATER, who drove up from San Jose area to play!

The plan was simple.. to keep it moody and droney.. and so we did.. it was an excellent configuration of the MIXER SET.. and a great warm up for the BIG mixer set we have planned for NFXIV in October.

The rest of the evening was just splendid.. it featured the return to performance of klowd from Sacramento... it was his first time out in over 2 years... and it was great to see him play live again..  also Lucio Menagon, now a resident of NYC was in the room and did a shredding set of solo antics on the guitar .. SMITE! mixed some 80's dance beat into audio goulash ...Peter J Woods brought BIG speakers and leveled high volume violin noise that was squeaky terror...INSURGENT THEATER left us stunned after an hour long 2 person play regarding the rape and torture of the people by the corporate empire...and in the end MUCKY THE DUCKY came to tear it up, and did not let anyone down, we who stayed know what we got to experience.. thanks guys!

INSTAGON  #542

July 18, 2010

The Hub Collective, Sacramento, CA

(mixer set)

"The Sickness ov Losing Friends Over Stupid Stuff On Facebook"
(30:00)

Instagon 542 was:
LOB (mixer contols/bass),
CHAD E. WILLIAMS (guitar),
STEFANO ZEROLI (synths)
RYAN TOMASELLO (laptop)

 

===================================================

all photos by Yvette Lucas

Set list - session 540 - June 25, 2010 -Terminal, Oakland, CA

Instagon #540
June 25, 2010
TERMINAL
Oakland, CA

this show marks that time of the year when Instagon begins to play NOSIE sets and gives some attention to that paradigm.. and this was the first show of that kind for 2010.. a great line up in a swell space with lots of history for great noise shows.  The plan was a 6 member Instagon MIXER set.. and that is just what happened.  It was one long flowing sound collage that was conducted by Lob via mixer.. and it was very nice and lo-fi driven.. droney and moody.. dark and playful..  that is the best description that can be given for this set   .. players included the one and only Dr. Oblivious, also Stefano Zeroli from INK ON SUIT,  returning offender Free Fargo.. and 2 of his band mates from the VERNIAN PROCESS.. Martin & Bryan.. it was a good time. 

INSTAGON #540
June 25, 2010

TERMINAL, Oakland, CA

" aboard thee early train to unknown locations "

performed by:

LOB, 

MARTIN IRIGOYEN 
BRIAN FIGEUROA,

FREE FARGO, 

STEFANO ZEROLI,

DR. OBLIVIOUS,

setlist & details, session 529 - UBRADIO appearance / collab with Big City Orchestra - March 3, 2010

Instagon 529
March 3, 2010
UB RADIO STUDIOS
Alameda, CA

UB RADIO SALON is a 2 hour weekly radio show that happens from a secret location in Alameda, California hosted by Ninah Pixie & dAS of Big City Orchestra that is broadcast live over the web via a radio server in the Netherlands.  Its quite the technological feat actually, hosting a weekly show. 

This was Instagon's 2nd appearance on this show (last was session 479), and this time out we brought Chad E. Williams with us from Sacramento.. and BCO brought Tom from UNIVAC ..and together we made a force to reckoned with.  Chad and I drove from Sactown to Alameda thru 2 ugly rain storms.. and another one greeted us upon arrival and downpoured on top of us as we unloaded our gear..  Our studio space was warm and welcoming..

Ninah was already set up to play with her Alesis and so she was able to greet us and be a wonderful hostess. She offered us towels to dry off with..and some beverages.. she is always the best host.  Tom was also already set up with his gear. The last time Instagon happened on UBRADIO, Tom also appeared and this was the first time we had seen each other since then.. it had been nearly 2 years!  So it was great to have UNIVAC involved once again with our radio shenanigans..

Chad and I came in out of the rain as quick as we could and got our gear set up.. Chad had come with just his guitar and pedal board..so he was set up quickly..  I on the other hand came with a bass, a mixer, some effects, a set of marching bells, and a piece of metal that was salvaged from a Moe! Staiano performance..so I took the longest to set up.. which gave opportunity for everyone else to say hi and take these nifty pictures that you are looking at .   The show was loosely based around the notion that I was gonna read some of my "kids" poems.. i did read some of my rhymes.. but we never ever got to a point where reading one of my children's pieces ever seemed like it would work.. i did read numerous poems.. probably the most poems in one sitting that I have read in over a year. I also played some bass, and made some noises.... and hosted the radio show.. the show was continuous for 2 hours.. there was short break at the half way point.. and then another shorter break while Tom did his monthly "science" spot for the show. So in all actuality there were 3 sets.. one long one. and 2 shorter ones. There was not really a set list in regards to the music.. it was very experimental and improvisational with what we had to work with., but there were appearances of a few standard Instagon riffs.. 

Instagon 529

March 3, 2010

UB RADIO STUDIO, Alameda, CA

songs:
My Little Red Planet,
Thee Sickness,
Echophobic

poems:

Where Are The Baby Pigeons,
Plastiphobia,
When Shit Becomes Food,
Have You Ever Smoked A Bowl? 
I'm Stoned & This Poet Sucks,
Poodle,
I Could Have Been Hit By A Bus,
Lirbrary,
Waiting for a Ride,
Postcard from Italy,
Fidel Castro,
Whale,
My Favorite Song,
Jesus Has A Sampler

Instagon 529 was:
LOB - words, bass, metal, bells, shenanigans
CHAD E. WILLIAMS - guitar
NINAH PIXIE - Alesis Synthesizer
TOM UNIVAC - samples, keyboards, toys
DAS UBI - master control mixer, samplers

all words, original poems by Lob.

==============================================
photos by Chad E. Williams
Flyer art and photo of Chad by Ninah Pixie

New Releases at Bandcamp !

instagon.bandcamp.com

We have launched a new online site with streaming and downloads of recordings of Instagon thru the wonderful site called bandcamp.com
Our first release was a download version of the INSTAGON - LIVE AT TRUE LOVE title that came out on CDr last summer (limited to 50 copies).

In November, we released the entire live performance of the Instagon Noise Quintet from Norcal Noisefest 2009. This session features Blake Edwards from VERTONEN, Rent Romus from LORDS OF OUTLAND, Steve Davis frm +DOG+, and Mark Soden of PHOG MASHEEEN playing noise with Lob at NF13. Right away we had a few copies move from the bandcamp page.. it was a really great feeling to have music posted and purchased within a short time. thanks!

In December we released a digital remastered edition of an old title by Instagon, our first collection of live songs from 1999. 

The "SPACE 1999: 10 year Anniversary Edition" features digital remastering of the entire original release that was before only available on cassette., plus a 20 bonus track, and extensive liner notes regarding each track.  This is an amazing document of the early band recordings by Instagon ,and features standards like "Forward", "Orgone Collector", & "Joyride".. plus the debut performance of "Rock Lobster", and an amazing version of Bauhaus' " Bela".   This release also marked the first in a series of FULL LENGTH releases planned for the bandcamp page to happen BI-MONTHLY.  The next full length will be posted in February 2010 and will feature a live recording from Fall 2009 from Sacramento,CA.

for 2010 we also have unleashed the FRESH TRAX series which will feature a new song, EVERY MONTH available for FREE download. Each track will ONLY be available for a limited time until the end of each month it is posted.  The track for January is a new track called "Dripfall" recorded at the UFO Club in Folsom,CA during the COSMIC HOOTENANNY (session 524). This track is currently only available for a limited time...now through Jan. 31, 2010.   A new track will be posted a few days later.

At the end of the year all 12 tracks will be available as a collection with exclusive art work and probably a bonus track or 2.

Set List - session 523 - El Rincon, San Francisco, CA - Dec. 22, 2009

INSTAGON #523
December 22, 2009
El Rincon, San Francisco, CA

It was a cold winters night in San Francisco.. no rain, just cold with some wind.. but not as cold as we had thought it was gonna be .. so I guess that's a good thing, right?

We arrived early to the venue, Bob from Xome had traveled with us and was going to be involved with the Instagon set that was planned so it was cool to have come as a group. Instagon was planned to be another mixer set and basically the same set that was played last week at Luna's Cafe, but obviously with different players. This time around we had planned to included Free Fargo from SF, but he declined. We also invited Cory Thrall from Shrew Florist & E-Yard to join in the festive fun.. he was very excited to play, it would be his first Instagon session. We also asked the project that played before us called Bonus Beast if they would like to be involved and so we grew to a 5 piece group with the addition of Ryan King and Josh Thomas

Tonight we started with "Foundation" .. as this was more as a NOISE show and not leaning on the season for its inspiration.. (the show last week had an xmas themed title)..it was really heavy and full of steam really early on. This piece has truly evolved since its first appearance in 2007 and this evening rendition and players were all on their game. Bob Scott was really watching Lob as he manipulated the mixer and found what channel he was on and really watched for moments he was being mixed forward in the chaos. We finished "Foundation" and the crowd cheered and thought we were done.. Ryan started to pack up his gear..and had to be stopped.. we announced.. "no no..its not done yet.. we are just getting started" .. a quick change of the cd for direction.. and we started into "So This Is Chistmas".. it was loud and over the top.. and went only about half way thru the actual foundation track of the 1994 original mix. . so this was a shorter live version of this song than the one played last week in Sacramento.

At the end of the set it was discovered that the audio recording device was unplugged at some point during the ritual and so no audio recording was captured. Jared from Shrew Florist made a video recording and so this is the only known documentation from this session that exists besides photos. Free Fargo, who came to support the show even though he did not play, mentioned that it was timely and it was happy we had played "So This is Christmas.." its nice to have someone give feedback for a change.. feed back is always welcome.

Instagon #523

December 22, 2009
El Rincon, San Francisco, CA

Foundation
So This Is Christmas...

523 was:
LOB
BOB SCOTT
CORY THRALL
RYAN KING
JOSH THOMAS

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photos by Yvette Lucas
flyer art art possibly by Grux
photo art by Lob

do you read this blog?? LEAVE A COMMENT...
We really would like to know if anyone reads this.. are you there? anyone?

Set List - session 522 - Luna's Cafe, Sacramento, CA - Dec. 18, 2009

Instagon #522
December 18, 2009
Luna's Cafe, Sacramento, CA

'twas the NOISE before Xmas... at least that what it said on the flyer. and so it was.. it was a really fun show.. you should have been there! Those who were there got to see some really great sound art and noise improvisations. All of the sets that happened were really strong. The sound system hand some issued a few times, but we overcame them and moved forward with each set in a timely fashion, letting loose the audio brutality that we came to unleash.

By the time INSTAGON took the stage it was easily 11pm.. and that 'ole end of the show energy had taken the room by storm.. there were only a few die hards left.. you know who you are and you are wonderful for staying.. thank you! The set was to be a MIXER SET.. the 2nd one of this year. (the first one was session 512 earlier in the year, also at Luna's). The MIXER SET , involves each player giving a direct line feed to a Mixer.. no amps, no headsets.. and then Lob conducts the sound from the Mixer controls live... sonic sculpting the set as it moves forward. Involved in this set were CHAD E. WILLIAMS, WES STEED, ANDREW WAYNE (of CHOPSTICK), and STEFANO ZEROLI (Ink On Suit)...with special guest ART LUNA playing a blender!

(Art Luna of Luna's Cafe behind the counter)

Earlier in the week Instagon had released a download of a 15 year old track called "So This Is Christmas" . This track was an audio collage done in 1994 live, and then re-mixed in the studio. For this session (522) we used this collage as the foundation of the performance, with Lob then adding the performer's live noise and electronics on top of it, making for a really nice live re-mix of an old old friend. The last time this track saw any action was a radio broadcast at Xmas time in 1996.. previous to that the only other LIVE happening of "So This Is Chistmas" was the original performance from 1994.. Instagon session 64! But we did stop there.. we closed the set with a rendition of "Foundation" a piece that was written for the Mixer Set but had not been performed since session #473 (49 shows if your counting)...we figured hell, while we were dusting off old tracks.. why not play this one too! it was well worth it.. this version of "Foundation" was really hot with Lob adding bass lines as it progressed into the swirling chaos.

Instagon #522
December 18, 2009
Luna's Cafe, Sacramento CA

Ghost of Xmas Present Visitation / So This Is Christmas
Foundation

522 was:
LOB - mixer control, bass, metal objects
CHAD E. WILLIAMS - guitar
ANDREW WAYNE - electronics
STEFANO ZEROLI - electronics
WES STEED - electronics
ART LUNA - blender


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photos by Bobby Almon

Recording Session Set Lists - group 520 - Lower Freeborn Hall -KDVS, Davis,CA - Nov. 21, 2009

Instagon #520
November 21, 2009
Studio "D" Engineering Room
Lower Freeborn Hall, KDVS Radio, UC DAVIS
Davis, CA

This year Instagon supported KDVS radio by donating $200.00 to their annual fund drive in the spring time. For this we were given a generous gift of 8 hours in the studio at the station with an engineer. After months of planning and gathering the right people, the date was set and off we went into the studio. Joining Instagon for this adventure in exploration were the 2 members with the most hours involved with the Deamon, Lob on bass , and Cary Pealer (Punk As a Doornail) on drums. The classic rhythm section of Instagon. Also joining us on guitars were Chad E. Williams (GJA) and Dan Quillan (Art Lessing), Susan Hunt (waning), and Andrew Wayne (Chopstick)...and we were joined for the middle set by Jaroba for some great saxophone.improvisational interaction.
[Dan Quillan, photo by Lob]

[Susan Hunt, photo by Lob]

[Andrew Wayne, photo by Lob]

The first set / session started with a quick warm up of the song "Forward", before the actual recording machines were turned on.. then a little more tweaking of the space and getting comfortable , and then we were off. Cary had a hard time finding his studio legs and we all seemed a little off.. but listening back to the raw recordings we sounded really good, it just was hard to realize it because of the size of the space we were in. The Sickness was over 16 minutes long during this session and was just fantastic.
The 2nd set we were joined for an hour by Jaroba, and we played a couple of the songs again that we played in the first set. He tore some really great sonic holes into the stratosphere of that room and laid down some great horn. After the 2nd set we took a break for nearly an hour to get some food. After eating we all felt much better, even Cary, and we laid down some really great tracks of pure improvisation...new titles.. fresh riff rides.. the 2nd groove was particularly amazing..we named it "Freeborn" for the hall building we were playing in.
Here are the set lists and notes regarding who plays where and what cover songs we had fun with while in the studio. The engineer was Fenris Wolf, and we should be meeting again with him sometime very soon for the final mix down of these recordings.

soundcheck - Forward [no recording]

SET 1:
Sunlight In My Eyes, {original song by Communal Death Duck}
Echophobic (w/vocal),
Speedwobble tease,
Speed,
Thee Sickness (w/ vocal),
Cozmic tease,
Evil Jazz 23,
Buzzkill,
Undoing,
Speedwobble,
Sex Bomb (w/vocal), {song by Flipper}
Cozmic
[1:10]

SET 2:
Cozmic,
Mu
Jazz for Satan,
Brainwashed Love,
Speed,
Sleepwalking*
Disco Warm-Up*
Deamon Disco*
Echophobic,
Joyride,
Thee Sickness
[1:15]

SET 3
Thruster,
Freeborn*,
Cows, {song originally done by Murray}
Bela, {song by Bauhaus}
Cruise Control*,
Dripfall*,
Nebula Chaser,
Dust > {song by Queen}
Set The Controls > {song by Pink Floyd}
Rock Lobster > {song by B-52's}
Shut Down > {song by The Germs}
Found Wind# [noise piece]
[1:20]


* new songs, 1st time played
# noise piece

Instagon #520 was:
LOB (bass,vocals),
CARY PEALER (drums),
CHAD E. WILLIAMS (guitar),
DAN QUILLAN (guitar, deth cello),
ANDREW WAYNE (moog synth)
SUSAN HUNT (keyboards)
JAROBA (saxophone) [2nd Set Only]

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top photo by Andrew Wayne

Thee Screams ov Angels on thee Deaf Ears ov Man

new for 2009
FINALLY a full length NOISE release from INSTAGON.

This release was recorded at various locations during the year 2008. Most of these tracks come from "mixer sets" from the Deamon and include over 20 players throughout the 5 tracks. It has been released by our good friends at LOVE EARTH MUSIC. This is our 2nd Release on LEM Recordings (the first was "Survivors ov thee Psychick Conflickt" from 2006) The new release also features a cover art collage by Lob called "Monks and Angels" that is very beautiful.
This release came out a few months ago and we just didnt have time to blog about it..so now we are! This is the best noise release from Instagon to come in years. It has that old school feeling and raw energy of the early releases from Instagon (think "Methoozella" or "Thee Most Creative Thing in a Slight English Accent")
The guys at Vital Weekly compared this release to Throbbing Gristle jamming out.
you should get this release if you like noise from the low end.

Set List - show 518 - NORCAL NOISEFEST XIII - The Greens Hotel, Sacramento, CA - Oct 17, 2009

Instagon #518
October 17, 2009
NORCAL NOISEFEST XIII
The Greens Hotel, Sacramento,Ca
[NOISE QUINTET]

Black October Samurai >

Spider With Sickness >
Return ov thee Samurai >

Illness >
Jazz for Satan

LOB (bass)
STEVE DAVIS (antelope specialist)
BLAKE EDWARDS (the minimalist)
RENT ROMUS (sax)
MARK SODEN JR (trumpet w/ electronics)

This marked the 13th that the Norcal Noisefest has unleashed its decibels and mayhem upon the good city of Sacramento. Instagon is part of a very elite club that has played every Norcal Noisefest. This was our 13th appearance at NF.

We were scheduled to appear in the 3rd session of 5 for this years 3 day event and had very good company with Vertonen and Xome closing the night after our set. Already this session had seen amazing performances from Nux Vomica, Lords of Outland, Dog, CJ Borosque, & XDUGEF.. and this was only the 3rd session!! The Instagon set that was planned was to elaborate on the NOISE TRIO concept that we have been doing for most noise appearances this year, to expand to a Quintet. The original trio that was planned for this show was to be Lob on bass, Moe! Staiano on the Antelope Specialist sign.. and Floyd Diebel on the box of toys and microphone.. but both of them skipped out on the idea and so Steve Davis from +DOG+ was recruited for the Antelope Specialist sign (his 2nd time doing it! see show 496). Its always great to play with Steve.. he is an old friend .. DOG and Instagon have a long interactive history..so its fun. For the other position BLAKE EDWARDS from VERTONEN was asked to sit in for his first Instagon experience playing the toys from the box.. the minimalist.

To grow the band into a Qunitet.. we added a horn section!! Featuring RENT ROMUS from LORDS OF OUTLAND on Saxophone.. and MARK SODEN from PHOG MASHEEEN on Trumpet with electronic.. and thus the stage was set for Instagon 518.. the NOISE QUINTET!

the group started off at a trot and quickly grew into a full run..playing wicked cool free jazz coming from all directions.. noise spattered with beats and rythyms inner moving with horns and grooves.. it was delicious. Probably one of the the best executed conceptual ideas for Instagon that has happened in quite some time. The entire show was improv on the spot. .. Jazz for Satan was thrown in at the end of the set just for good measure and fun. Spider With Sickness was very dark and contained parts of both Spider and Thee Sickness..hence the title.. Other 2 titles were named post the performance and were dedicated to the angry neighbor who for some reason saw it his right to attack the Noisefest with a Samurai Sword. Its true! This is how the night ended.. with Xome blowing the lid off of the room, a man with a sword at the door, and the cops coming to our rescue. Another Norcal Noisefest becomes history.. thank you Sacramento.

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all photos by Yvette Lucas